Ferdinand von Mueller

1

For a copy of this letter see Royal Geographical Society, London, Archives, Journal mss., Australia, 1867, Mueller, F.

Melbourne botan. Garden,

20. April 1866.

Sir Charles,

In accordance with your Excellencys request I beg to place before you a succinct statement on the present position of the enterprise, which under the auspices of the Ladies of Victoria is destined to unveil the fate of Dr Leichhardt's expedition.

As justly observed by your Excellency it is incumbent upon the Administrative Committee to afford authentic information to the Home Government on all important events concerning the enterprise, more so especially since our gracious and beloved Queen has graced the Ladies' enterprise by her sublime patronage and by her generous sympathy. A record of the progress of the expedition would have been offered to your Excellency before, had not the Ladies been desirous to await the arrival of official despatches from the leader of the search party. Any such documents have however as yet not come into the possession of the Committee, because perhaps no opportunity presented itself to the leader of the expedition to forward reports from a far inland position since the disasters happened at Cooper's Creek (about which also as yet no despatches are exstant)

2

While McIntyre was searching for water when Cooper’s Creek was found to be dry, James Murray, second-in-command of the expedition, served medicinal brandy to the men and, drunk, lost most of the expedition’s horses and much of the equipment. When McIntyre returned to the camp, he discharged Murray and the other culprits.

or perhaps the written records may be detained on their way prior to their reaching any line of postal communication.

Your Excellency will therefore be pleased to regard this preliminary report of progress merely as a brief explanation of recent events, as far as I am able to give to them an interpretation from very imperfect data and from such impressions as force themselfes on my mind.

The Expedition proceeded on its course from the Darling's river to the Paroo in preference to choosing a starting point from the North East or North Coast. It would have involved expenses far exceeding the funds at the Ladies Command to provide by charter for the shipment of the Dromedaries to a distant harbour. Moreover Mr M'Intyre had horses, equipment, and stores of his former expedition available on or near the Paroo. The line of that watercourse was consequently selected by the leader himself for his first field operations after the union of the members of his party.

The Ladies Committee exercises no ruling power on the special arrangements of the Commander of the party, but simply entered into an agreement with Mr M'Intyre to carry out the search for a limited sum during a specified period and under such obligations and restrictions as the Ladies responsibility towards the Governments of Australia and towards the subscribers seemed to demand.

Of the legal documents adopted I have the honor of submitting a copy.

3

See the agreement between M and Duncan McIntyre, 20 July 1865.

The unexampled aridity of the last two seasons prior to the rainfalls in the interior some time during january last rendered the march of the expedition from the Paroo much more embarrassed than was anticipated by the leader; and it is to be regretted, that he did not deviate to the Warrego, which river, as far as I can judge, offered all through the trying season a perfectly open and safe line of travelling for the caravane towards the north.

In his attempt to reach Coopers Creek before the December and Januar rainfalls Mr M'Intyre while relying with too great confidence on the presense of water in the Barcoo under the 26° of S. L imperilled the safety of his party, lost all his horses (nearly 70) except three, though none of the camels, and he was thereby obliged to retreat again to a more southern position.

Here Dr Jam. Murray and several other members of the expedition at a mutual understanding with the leader separated from the party.

Heavy showers in the regions of the Barcoo rendered soon subsequently the country accessible in all directions, and Mr M'Intyre advanced thus with comparative facility to the Thomson-River, from which again an uninterrupted line of communications exists quite to the Flinder's River. From that stream, which long since must have been reached by the Ladies-Expedition, the real search will commence.

Your Excellency will be aware, that the rapid settlement of the Carpentaria country more particularly along the track of Leichhardts first great expedition and that of Gregory, to which I was attached,

4

North Australian Exploring Expedition, 1855-6.

affords easy means to the Commander of the Search Expedition for his future movements and for replenishing his supplies. On the upper Thomson's River moreover several tons of provision are stored for the party through arrangements of Mr W Landsborough, who kindly carried out this auxiliary service, while persons for the perfect reorganization of the party are readily available anywhere on the line, unless it may be found difficult to replace the surgeon.

That Dr Murray's services, which proved so valuable to Howitts Expedition were lost to the Leichhardt search, I deeply regret.

I cannot but foresee, that the losses sustained by Mr M'Intyre, will tend to warn that otherwise highly experienced bushman for incurring anew dangers. I contrarely feel convinced, he will steer herafter free of similar difficulties and will realize the great hopes which the Ladies entertain of a glorious conclusion of the enterprise.

With renewed expression of grateful remembrance of the friendly support given by your Excellency to the Ladies philanthropic and cosmopolitan cause, one also of the very highest geographical importance in Her Majestys dominions,

His Excellency

Governor Sir Charles Darling. K.C.B.

&c &c &c

5

The copy received by the Royal Geographical Society, was referred on 13 July to Charles Nicholson. He reported on 19 July: 'I recommend the publication of the extracts scored with a pencil mark. The style of the writer (who is a Foreigner) — is so peculiar and idiomatic — that it will be indispensable to make various changes to the phraseology he employs, before his communication can be printed.'

The extracts scored with a pencil mark are paragraphs three and four, seven to eleven and thirteen.

The extracts were sent for printing in the Proceedings of the Royal Geographic Society, vol. 11, no. 1, but were not published. That issue contains at pp. 42-6 extracts from McIntyre's last letter and a letter of 7 June 1866 from his second in command, W. Sloman, to the Hon. Secretary of the Ladies' Leichhardt Search Committee, in which McIntyre's death is reported.